Armodafinil

Use

Armodafinil, an α1-adrenoceptor agonist, was launched for the oral treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, SWSD, and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA). It is the R-enantiomer of modafinil, which is a previously marketed wake-promoting agent. The key differentiator for armodafinil is its longer pharmacokinetic half-life as compared with the S-enantiomer (10-14 hvs.3-4h). At therapeutic concentrations, armodafinil does not bind to most of the potentially relevant receptors for sleep/wake regulation (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, and adenosine receptors) or transporters of neurotransmitters or enzymes involved in sleep/wake regulation (e.g., serotonin, norepinephrine, and phosphodiesterase VI transporters). Both armodafinil and modafinil block dopamine reuptake by binding to the dopamine transporter and increasing dopamine concentrations in certain regions of the brain.